How’d You Get So Fly?

How’d You Get So Fly?

Having been a well-established celebrity hotspot in Los Angeles and Paris, Barfly has quickly become the coolest new hangout in the capital…

After sitting down last year with Tarja Visan, the charming lady behind the capital’s latest hotspot, Barfly, we couldn’t wait for it to open. Barfly is a restaurant and supper club concept and has opened with a bang in Abu Dhabi to impressive reviews and hype. Barfly was developed by George V Entertainment, the creators of Buddha Bar, and first opened in Paris in 1996.

The venue is set in the Venetian Village in the background of The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal. Upon entering the stunning venue, the décor will quickly catch your eye.The space is large and has been modelled off the original Barfly in Paris but it’s been tweaked to suit the feel of 2016. We were greeted by an enormous statue with wings sitting behind the gorgeous mosaic front desk. The whole place has an uber chic vibe with dim lights and huge, quirky artworks, and bold orange and deep red walls and it’s not like anything else we’ve seen before in the capital.

Considering that this is a Buddah Bar brand, Barfly comes with a seriously impressive drinks menu. The mixologists are very talented and the drinks come served with pizazz in jam jars and other statement glass wear. The menu has an international theme but mainly focuses on seafood and Asian fare. To kick off our dinner we order the sushi platter and we were suitably impressed with the presentation. A huge platter was placed in front of us, brimming with delicious sushi and sashimi on top of a huge ice sculpture with a large candle. It’s suitably opulent and is the perfect option for sharing.

For the main event, we simply couldn’t go past the Black Cod. You simply can’t be disappointed with this dish and it’s our favourite of the night. The dish was beautifully wrapped up in a neat package and was simply delicious. Some other dishes worth mentioning are the calamari, Szechuan beef and delicious dim sum. The staff are super professional and attentive and the ambiance is buzzing. The venue is truly a creative concept for Abu Dhabi.